Heart of Darkness
Co-produced by Marche Teatro and Cast. Supported by Arts Council England, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University and Theatre by the Lake.
Following the popular and critically acclaimed adaptation of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, imitating the dog turn their attention to Joseph Conrad’s extraordinarily influential novel, Heart of Darkness.
Written more than 100 years ago, amid the optimism at the turn of a new century, it’s a tale of lies and brutal greed and of the dark heart which beats within us all. Now re-sited in a timeless Europe, in a forsaken landscape lost to the destructive lust for power, it emerges as a tale absolutely for our time.
This bold re-telling of Conrad’s classic is a visually rich, multi-layered work which fuses live performance with digital technology.
The performers enter the stage, into uncharted territory. They are adrift with a story that they know they must tell. As they wait for the turn of the tide, the story unfolds like an animated Cinemascope graphic novel on the hanging projections screens above their heads.
Their story is Conrad’s story, of the voyage into the perilous unknown. And, as we continue the journey, it becomes our story, exposing the dehumanisation that paved the way for the horrors of the 20th Century, and countless horrors yet to come.
The heart of darkness must be found. The story is impossible to tell, but it must be told.
quotes
The Observer
“Not to be missed”
The Stage
“conceptually breath-taking”
The Times
“It’s radical in every way”
The Times
“You may think you know this story, but this version, especially the ending, grips you anew”
There Ought to be Clowns
“A hugely thought-provoking, contemporary retelling of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness”
Reviews Hub
“a thought-provoking retelling of the tale for today”
Stage Talk Magazine
“The concept for this play is exceptional and very ambitious”
Break A Leggers
“Meta theatre combined with some of the most creative multimedia production we’ve ever seen”
Sheffield Star
“Brilliant”
Reviews Sphere
“A thing of meta-fictional beauty.”
Exeunt Magazine
“At times mesmeric and jaw-dropping, constructed in layers before our eyes…dizzyingly exciting stuff.”
All The World’s A Stage
“I can’t recommend Heart of Darkness highly enough.”
British Theatre Guide
“beautifully crafted, thoughtful and ambitious performance.”
Broadway World
Yorkshire Post
“A beautiful piece…”
Pocklington Post
“Be still my beating heart, this was theatre like I’ve never seen before!”
Yorkshire Times
“If you want to know what theatre will be like in the future go and see imitating the dog…”